


Dungeons & Drama

by Karashi



Category: Total Drama Island
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-08
Updated: 2013-02-10
Packaged: 2017-11-24 04:17:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/630308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karashi/pseuds/Karashi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The paladin Courtney, the sorcerer Gwen, and the cleric Bridgette are sent on a mission to find out what happened to Princess Lindsay. Is this simply a case of miscommunication and forgetfulness, or is there something more sinister afoot? (Alternate Universe)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Adventure Begins

**Author's Note:**

> Usual disclaimers of not owning Total Drama or D&D goes here.
> 
> This fic is heavily inspired by D&D but I will be putting my own spin to them. This is my first fic for the Total Drama franchise so I welcome comments and suggestions.

**Part One: The Fall  
Chapter One: The Adventure Begins**

 

The throne room was filled with an unfamiliar sense of tension that day. The normally jovial King of Goephr was beside himself with worry, adding a few more strands of white hair to his strawberry blond head. He had not heard word from his dear daughter, the Princess Lindsay, and it has been over two months since she left for the Kingdom of Basse.

“She should have reached her destination by now!” the king bemoaned to his most trusted advisor, wringing his hands in consternation as he paced in a well-worn circle. “Something must have happened to her! She could have been taken! Noah! You told me our neighboring kingdoms recently suffered from a rash of fiendish rituals!” The King sank to this throne, burying his face in his ring-adorned hands, continuing to moan, “Isn’t it possible that my poor, sweet Lindsay was chosen as a sacrifice for who knows _what_ twisted and evil plan?”

The advisor refrained from rolling his eyes at his liege’s behavior, an act that’s almost become second nature to him. Because like the missing princess the King was prone to bouts of overreaction. Instead, Noah tried to calm his liege down. “Your Highness, there was just the _one_ unexplained ritual three kingdoms away. Which was probably just some children’s prank,” Noah muttered beneath his breath while brushing stray strands of his brown hair out of his eyes.

“And if she has been abducted, we should have received a ransom notice by now. A princess is a _very_ valuable bargaining chip after all. It’s highly likely that Princess Lindsay decided to take the scenic route at the last minute. I’m sure we’ll hear word soon enough from-”

“NO!” the King bellowed, slamming a meaty fist on the throne’s armrest and causing Noah to visibly flinch. “We’ve waited long enough! We _must_ send a search party to find her!”

“Are you absolutely certain your Highness?” Noah asked, barely managing to keep his usual annoyed drawl in check. The furious shade of scarlet spreading across the King’s face made it clear to Noah that his liege’s mind was made up on the matter. The long-suffering advisor held back a resigned sigh as he bowed, knowing there was nothing else he could do except acquiesce to his ruler’s will. “As you wish, your Highness.”

“Send word for the Captain and his best men to search at once! Send envoys announcing that my daughter is missing!”

Noah remained where he stood, his face grim with disapproval for the briefest of moments before he schooled his features into a neutral mask. “Your Highness, as your advisor, I must _advise_ you that this is the sort of situation where we must practice a sense of subtlety.”

“What does tea have anything to do with my missing daughter?”

Noah’s eye twitched ever so slightly, “Not tea, your Highness, _subtle_ -ty. As in, we have to be careful that the other kingdoms aren’t made aware.” The blank look on his liege’s face forced him to continue, “That our alliance with the Kingdom of Basse, along with Princess Lindsay’s life, is possibly at risk?”

The King’s brows simply furrowed in deepening confusion at Noah’s words.

The advisor pressed his hand to his face and pulled down. Slowly. “Sending out the Captain of the Royal Guards as well as envoys would be basically announcing to everyone interested in overthrowing you that you’re vulnerable.”

Noah gave the King some time to digest his words. It was several moments later before the King paled in understanding and demanded, “Then what do you suggest?”

“We carry on like everything is normal while we send a smaller group to go search for Princess Lindsay and her entourage.” Had Noah been explaining his plan to anyone else, and not the King, he would have finished with a resounding _Duh_.

The King leaned back on his throne as he mulled his decision over. Seconds passed before he asked, “Do you have a group in mind?”

Noah gave his liege an assuring smile, “Of course, your Highness. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t.”

* * *

That same morning, three women were summoned to a private audience with the King. The first to arrive, a full hour before the appointed time, was a paladin. A servant greeted her before escorting her to an antechamber to wait. She bowed in thanks at the retreating servant, brushing the bob of brown hair back into place as she righted herself. Rather than sitting down on any of the numerous plush seats, she remained on her feet, posture ramrod straight. Her dark eyes were closed in meditation as she waited for the appointed time.

Not half an hour later, the door opened but the paladin’s eyes remained closed. The only change to her serene expression was the quirk of a smile on her lips. “Bridgette,” the paladin greeted cordially, peering through her lashes at the blonde cleric.

“Courtney,” the woman that entered returned cheerfully before throwing her arms around the heavily armored paladin. When gauntleted arms finished returning the embrace, Bridgette beamed, “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you about to have a private audience with the King.”

“Well, I _am_ a Captain in Training,” Courtney stated in complete confidence. A beat. Then both women began to laugh. “It’s great to see you again, Bridgette,” the paladin grinned with a flash of white teeth.

“Likewise,” the blonde nodded as she settled down on a cushioned couch, placing her mace and large shield by her feet. As they began to catch up, the sound of approaching footsteps gave both women pause, alerting them that a third person would be entering. When the door opened, Bridgette brightened at the rustle of robes.

“Gwen?” Courtney sounded concerned at the sight of the pale woman. “What happened to your hair?”

“Let me guess: A spell went wrong?” Bridgette queried, pursing lips as she tapped a finger against her cheek.

“More like the price I had to pay,” the sorcerer huffed, running her pale fingers through her green-streaked dark hair.

With a quirked brow, Courtney asked, “You never tried to change it back?”

“To be honest, I kind of like it this way,” Gwen shrugged, taking a seat beside Bridgette.

The cleric stretched out as she reclined into the plush upholstery, idly remarking, “It does suit you, but only you could pull that look off.”

“I can give you two matching streaks for your hair,” the pale woman offered, green eyes glinting in mischief.

Courtney looked aghast, “I’m perfectly fine with the way my hair looks, thank you very much.”

“Somehow, I knew you’d say that,” Gwen snickered before turning serious. “I’m guessing Noah came to see you two this morning too, huh?”

“Yes. Do either of you have any idea why we’re here, though? He wouldn’t say when he told me the King wanted to see me,” the blonde cleric chewed her lower lip in slight concern.

“This is _Noah_ we’re talking about,” Courtney frowned, brows furrowing pensively, “He’s not exactly the hands-on type. If he came to us personally, we can be sure secrecy is of the utmost importance.”

“Am I really that obvious, Courtney?” Noah drawled as he entered the antechamber.

“It’s more like drawing from experience,” the paladin clarified as she crossed her arms, dark eyes narrowing suspiciously at the advisor. “Are we even going to _meet_ the King?”

Noah nodded, looking mildly affronted, “I’d never make such claims without being able to back it up. But I _do_ need to brief you three before your audience. As everyone knows, Princess Lindsay is enroute to Basse to meet her betrothed, Prince Tyler.”

“Whether or not they’re compatible never seems to come up,” Gwen muttered as she rolled her eyes. The sorcerer never regarded arranged marriages, especially political ones, with favor.

“Be as it may,” the advisor cleared his throat, wisely avoiding the topic altogether, “Everyone in the kingdom, not to mention our _neighbors,_ still _thinks_ the Princess is enroute to Basse.” He left it at that, pulling his arms behind him while staring at the three women expectantly.

Realization dawned on Courtney first and the paladin’s eyes widened, “The Princess hasn’t arrived but she hasn’t been kidnapped, has she?”

Bridgette tilted her head, “And you came to this conclusion how?”

“If she has been kidnapped, Sir Josh of the Royal Guards would have ridden out to rescue her,” Gwen supplied.

“While drumming up all the pomp and fanfare this kingdom can muster,” Noah grumbled, rubbing his temples and shaking his head. “Not exactly the picture of discretion.”

“And you expect the three of us will be able to do the job?” Courtney grinned, barely able to contain her excitement at the opportunity to prove her worth.

“Quietly,” the advisor warned as he adjusted the hem of his silken sleeves. “You don’t even need to bring the Princess back here. Just return with something to assure the King that his precious Lindsay’s safe and not a sacrificial bride to some netherworld being. I don’t have to tell you how this could make or break your futures in the kingdom.”

While Courtney wasn’t about to question Noah’s decision, she couldn’t help but side-eye him. “How does this benefit _you_?”

Noah’s gaze darted to Gwen, “You know me, I pay my debts,” then to Bridgette, “And I have a back-up plan,” and finally to Courtney, “And I always like to have an ace up my sleeve.”

The three women exchanged knowing looks, satisfied with his answer.

“Going on an adventure with just the three of us? It’s going to be like old times, huh?” Bridgette grinned, happily nudging Gwen with her elbow.

The sorcerer tried to look unconcerned, as if this quest didn’t matter but the corner of her painted lips curled up. Scratching the back of her nape, she shrugged, “It’s not like I’m making any headway in deciphering that old spell. I guess a change in my routine couldn’t hurt.”

“Good, now that that’s settled, I’ll send you three to meet the King. He’ll tell you everything I just said but with an excessive amount detail and go off on unrelated tangents more times than necessary. By the time he’s finished, I’ll have sent a messenger to each of your guild master how the King sent you on a wild goose chase.”

“Seriously?” Bridgette blinked in disbelief.

“Last month the King _did_ send Sir Josh and his men on a wild rabbit chase,” Courtney sighed, “His Majesty hasn’t been the same since the Queen died. If it weren’t for Noah and the other advisors, this land would have fallen to complete chaos.”

“Nothing wrong with a little chaos now and again,” the sorcerer declared cheekily as she drew a long, oak staff out of her sleeves. Gingerly, she rapped the butt of the wooden rod against the carpeted floor, the strike sparking a green flash that set the carpeted alight. It took a mere snap of her fingers to extinguish the flames. “Keeps things interesting.”

“I’d rather have things boring but stable,” the paladin sniffed, her heavy armor barely making a sound as she marched towards a table where a claymore sword most men needed two arms to lift rested. With one hand, she sheathed the blade in the scabbard strapped to her hip while the other retrieved her helmet to cradle it against her side.

“But whatever happens, we know how to deal,” the cleric beamed and swiftly jumped to her feet, the movement sent her mace and shield spinning into the air. But while both her arms were outstretched in anticipation, she only managed to catch the blunt weapon. It was the advisor standing beside her that caught the shield. With his head.

“Oh, sorry about that Noah,” Bridgette winced, kneeling down to free the pinned advisor as well as to heal the beginnings of a concussion.

“Don’t make me regret this, you three. My neck is on the line just as much as yours,” Noah glared in spite of the soothing sensation of the cleric’s magic.

“Stop worrying, Noah, what’s the worse that could happen?” Gwen smirked.

An unnatural chill fell upon the four and departed so quickly it was almost as if they imagined it. While Noah easily shrugged it off, the three magically attuned women remained on edge.

* * *

Elsewhere...

“Really? Out of all the things you could possibly dream up in that sad, twisted little head of yours, you pick _that_?”

“Either that or you endow the Princess Lindsay with wisdom beyond her years.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Chaos is one thing, complete and utter annihilation of all the nine realms is another.”

“So what you’re saying is you _can’t_?”

“Did I say that? No. No, I _didn’t_! I just meant you could have maybe picked something that would pose more of a challenge.”

“Bring it, we’ll see how far you go without _my_ help and expertise!”

“Oh I’ve brought it! Then we’ll see who has the last laugh!”


	2. Makes Me Wonder

After their private audience with the King, the paladin, the cleric, and the sorcerer rode out of town. Or they would have rode out of town had Noah granted them the privilege of horses.

“We could investigate locations faster if we had mounts,” Gwen insisted.

“Yes, but how often do we see ordinary travelers leaving the kingdom on horse back?” Noah drawled, “And besides, none of you are exactly ranked to travel on one in your respective guilds are you?”

“I actually am,” Courtney corrected, the look on her face suggesting she was more than willing to narrate the exact moment she was granted said rank.

However, it appeared that Noah already had an answer for her: “Yes, but you’re not about to let your two traveling companions walk while you rode, are you? I mean, what sort of paladin would that make you?”

Dark eyes narrowed at the advisor before Courtney begrudgingly donned her helm. But not without a last indignant remark of, “Ladies, let it be known that when I end up pushing you both to your limits during our journey, you know where fit to lay blame.”

The advisor only gave the three women a beatific smile that convinced no one of his ignorance on Courtney’s attitude when it came to meeting her goals. “I’d start walking if I were you three. It’s a half-day’s journey to the nearest town on horseback. But it shouldn’t be more than a day on foot with Courtney’s encouragement.” He ignored the daggers glared his way from the cleric and sorceress as he waved at the exiting adventurers.

“He does this on purpose,” Gwen grumbled, trudging past the castle’s guards without giving them a second glance.

“Undoubtedly,” Bridgette agreed then glanced hesitantly to the paladin, cringing as she asked, “Are you seriously going to push us to exhaustion, Courtney?”

“Yes,” the tanned woman answered without batting an eye, not that it was obvious with her helmet on. “Discretion and speed are key elements with this type of investigation. The sooner we duplicate the trail Princess Lindsay’s entourage took, the faster we discover where she could have possibly gone astray.”

“You do know that it’s two against one, don’t you?” the sorcerer reminded, gesturing to herself then to the blonde cleric. “I mean, not that it will ever come to us having to forcibly tie you down so we can get a moment’s rest or anything…”

“Hey, didn’t we already _do_ something like that? And we managed to actually succeed? When was it...?” the cleric followed suit, tapping her chin in thought.

Through grit teeth, Courtney countered, “I was still a squire back then. Now that I’m a full-fledged paladin, you two have no _hope_ of subduing me!” Her two friends simply laughed at her, making the paladin bark out the command for the two women to: “Move it!”

“You should considering changing your claymore for a whip,” Gwen teased, though she did pick up her pace to jog alongside Bridgette who was pantomiming cracking the aforementioned weapon.

“I swear, if either of you lag behind I am _leaving_ you both in the dust!” Courtney threatened from the front. As gruff and serious as her tone was, the three knew the brunette would never do such a thing to _them_. Partly because of the stringent moral code all Holy Knights followed and partly because they knew firsthand what it was like to have Courtney on their side. If they had been anyone else, however, Courtney would have no trouble proving she rarely made idle threats.

Several hours’ worth of uneventful walking later (with a brief break to have lunch), the trio reached the entrance to the forest surrounding the Geophr Kingdom. It was then that Gwen declared she needed a rest.

“I know you both undergo a lot of physically strenuous tasks during your training, but we sorcerers prefer the mental sort of exercises,” she panted, leaning against one of the many trees. Through the fabric of her robes, Bridgette and Courtney could see the green-haired woman’s trembling knees were ready to buckle at a moment’s notice.

“I suppose one of us could try to remove your fatigue...” Courtney trailed off as she mulled over her options.

“Don’t you think we’ve covered enough ground to warrant a rest?” Bridgette frowned sternly. “I mean, we’re already at the forest and it’s not really a place I enjoy going in when a group is at full strength.”

“Let alone with one of its members is about to collapse from exhaustion!” Gwen added thickly. And to prove her point, the sorcerer promptly slid down the tree’s trunk, the thick fabric of her robes sparing her the annoyance of splinters.

“Alright, alright! We’ll take a brief rest and then we’ll continue until it gets dark. Here, lean on me,” Courtney sighed, offering an arm to the seated sorcerer. The paladin lifted the sorcerer to her feet with ease and Gwen just as easily slung her arm around Courtney’s shoulder. The pair headed towards the camp Bridgette was already setting up.

“I should scout the surrounding forest area while you two rest. Just to make sure there are no bandits or wild animals lurking about,” Courtney murmured as Gwen settled beside Bridgette.

“You shouldn’t push yourself so hard on the first day,” Bridgette chided, setting down her shield and mace, absently making sure both they within reach. When she noticed the paladin hadn’t followed suit, she pointed at the spot in front of her, silently ordering what Courtney’s next action _should_ be.

“We have the entire trip from Goephr to Basse for you to do that,” Gwen reminded before lying down and breathing a relieved sigh. Given the sorcerer’s pale skin, it was safe to say she wasn’t particularly fond of the outdoors. But after that grueling trek, anything level that kept her from standing on her feet was more than welcome.

Courtney crossed her arms stubbornly, lips pressed into a thin line, brows furrowed. However, the pointed stare from Bridgette soon had her joining both women on the ground.

* * *

“Still haven’t learned to relax, have you?” the blonde teased as Courtney fidgeted with her sword and helmet.

“What!?” Courtney demanded indignantly, the expression on her face indicating she was about to stand back up had Bridgette not anchored herself to the paladin’s arm. The brunette attempted to shake her friend off but the cleric countered by batting her doe-eyes and pulling her lips into a pleading pout. Had Bridgette been anyone else, Courtney wouldn’t have fallen for it. With a resigned sigh, Courtney sat back down and removed her helmet.

Satisfied, the blonde was more than happy to let go of Courtney’s arm and ignored the tanned woman’s grumbling of, “I do so know how to relax! I just dislike being idle, that’s all.”

“Then meditate or recite prayers or _whatever_ it is you holy knights do when you’re not out smiting evil,” Gwen suggested, waving an arm dismissively.

“Hey yeah! We can both meditate, Court, that should clear your mind some,” the cleric eagerly declared. So eager, in fact, that Bridgette proceeded to adjusted her spot and rearrange the placement of her mace and shield (one on either side to be exact) without waiting for Courtney’s response. The blonde tucked her feet under her, laid her hands on her lap, closed her eyes, and was soon on the path to finding her center.

As serene as Bridgette looked, Courtney couldn’t bring herself to join the cleric. The paladin just couldn’t shake off this ominous feeling of dread that hummed in the back of her mind. Her gaze kept wandering to their surroundings, searching the forest for any signs that would explain her unease. Every little noise, ever faint rustle of foliage had her reaching for her sword, dark eyes alert for any signs of danger, muscles coiled and ready to strike or parry at a moment’s notice.

Judging by the downward curve of Gwen’s mouth, the sorcerer was equally on edge. While the paladin drew her unease from her surroundings, Gwen’s stemmed from the energies of the elements. She initially thought fatigue caused the sense of anxiety niggling at the back of her consciousness. But even now, stretched out on her back, allowing her body to recover from the morning’s travel, she was wholly aware that fatigue had nothing to do with the foreboding sensation.

Eventually, Courtney’s anxiety got on Gwen’s nerves and the sorcerer sat up, balling her hands into fists out of frustration. “Court, you’re my friend and I know you’ve got stamina by the buckets. But could you at least chill long enough to let _me_ rest in pe-”

“HELP! HELP!! SOMEBODY!!!”

The sudden yell snapped Bridgette from her meditation and had all three women scrambling to their feet. With her claymore drawn and her helmet secured on her head, Courtney charged into the underbrush feeling completely vindicated.

“I knew it! I _knew_ it! Mildred be praised, I was right!” The paladin’s cheers were short lived upon immediately realizing this was _not_ the appropriate moment to celebrate. She wove through the trees with surprising speed given the amount of armor she wore, but Gwen and Bridgette were quick to catch up.

“I sense six evil presences up ahead,” Bridgette reported, “Nothing too menacing but we sh-eep!” she yelped in surprise followed by a dull thud.

“Bridgette?” the two gasped in concern, glancing over their shoulders to see what happened.

When the cleric discovered her foot caught on an exposed root and caused her to trip, she waved her mace at the two to go on ahead. “I’ll catch up!”

With a nod, both Gwen and Courtney continued heading towards the cries for help. As they drew closer, they could hear the ringing of metal striking bone and the incoherent moans of the undead. Soon enough, they spied a group of reanimated corpses converging on a lone bard. He was swinging a short sword at them while protectively cradling a mandolin to his green-clad chest. Though he was successful in cutting the creatures, the amount of blood pouring out of his wounds made it obvious he won’t last for much longer.

“Damn it, why won’t you guys just _die_ already!?” he growled in frustration, too preoccupied to even brush aside his sweat-matted raven hair.

“They’re _already_ dead, that’s why!” Gwen yelled, stopping a few feet from the cluster of corpses, one end of her oaken staff aglow.

“And if you don’t want to end up like them, I strongly suggest you get down!” Courtney commanded, continuing her headlong rush. Beneath her breath, she began to chant a prayer and her claymore began to shimmer, the light intensifying to blinding the closer she got to the undead.

The dark-haired bard did as the paladin ordered; or rather he tried to. A rotting arm managed one final swipe at him, razor-sharp nails raking a deep gash across his chest, and sending him sprawling to the ground. The instant the green-clad man hit the dirt Courtney swung her large sword at the gathered undead. The holy knight’s blade cleaved through half of the corpses, rending muscle, flesh, and bone.

From the corner of her eye, Courtney spied movement and a flash of blue. She took the sharp crackling in the air as her cue to put distance between herself and the remaining creatures.

“Gwen! I got him!” Bridgette informed, having successfully dragged the unconscious bard out of harm’s way.

At the cleric’s words, a stream of green bolts shot out of the sorcerer’s oaken staff, scorching the creatures until there was nothing more than ash and a lingering stench of decay. Bridgette wasted no time in checking the bard’s injuries.

“How bad is he?” Gwen asked.

“Nothing broken, but you never know with the undead,” was the healer’s assessment.

The sorcerer tried not to shudder at the prospect. She was well aware that there were dangers involved during travel. But she never really thought said dangers would extend beyond getting lost or dealing with savage beasts and thieving bandits.

As she contemplated the situation, she watched the warm glow transfer from Bridgette’s fingertips and onto the man. The healing light slowly spread throughout his body. Gwen chewed on her lower lip, wincing in sympathy when the man let out a sharp hiss through clenched, white teeth. With dark eyes, she continued to observe the wounds and gashes close to faint scars, releasing the breath she didn’t realize she held until the pain eased from his features.

Gradually, he came to, opening his green eyes to the sight of two concerned faces. He groaned, “Am I dead?”

From behind Gwen, Courtney answered, “No, you’re alive,” and followed up with grim seriousness, “But I can’t say for sure what would have happened if we came any later.”

The man gulped, inspecting himself through his blood-soaked clothes as he sat up, “You three saved my life.”

“Think nothing of it,” the paladin dismissed with a smile, “As a CIT and a Holy Knight serving under the goddess Mildred, it’s my sworn duty to-”

“What were you thinking facing six undead all by yourself?” Gwen cut in, wisely stopping Courtney from continuing her spiel, which both sorcerer and cleric had heard hundreds of times before.

The raven-haired bard rubbed his square jaw in thought, “When I was exploring the area it just started with the _one_ undead. And after I got rid of that, another one came at me and then another and another. I lost count at how many there really were and it stopped being about taking them down to simply getting away.”

“And that’s when we showed up,” the blonde finished.

“Yes, again, thank you so much. I owe you three my life! I’m Trent, by the way,” he introduced, flashing those pearly whites of his while offering his hand and fixing his green eyes at Gwen.

“Gwen,” the sorcerer replied, accepting the proffered limb. She gestured to the cleric in blue, “This is Bridgette, and Miss Captain-in-Training over there is Courtney.”

“A pleasure to meet you Trent,” Courtney nodded with a tight smile, her tone suggesting all business. She sheathed her sword back and gave the two women a pointed look. “And now that we’re sure you’re alright, the three of us should really get going. We still have a lot of ground to cover and if we want to get out of this forest by nightfall, we _really_ should start moving.”

“Seriously?” Gwen demanded, rapping her staff angrily on the ground, “We just dealt with half a dozen undead and saved someone’s life! You’re actually rushing us?!”

“Exactly!” Courtney yelled back hotly. When she realized Trent was present to witness her temper she gave an unconvincing smile to the bard before forcibly dragging Bridgette and Gwen away. When they were out of earshot, she hissed, “Don’t you think it’s strange that the undead was in our forest? Let alone Intern’ds!?”

Bridgette went slack-jawed in shock. “I-Intern’ds?! B-but, but how?”

“That’s impossible! There haven’t been any Intern Unions in our Kingdom, at least not for the past hundred years!” Gwen added uneasily.

“I know that!” the paladin snapped. “Which is why I believe it’s in our best interest to reach the nearest village as soon as possible.”

“I think finding out more about the Intern’d is a little more important than what Princess Lindsay’s doing,” the sorcerer frowned, folding her arms across her robed chest.

With a frustrated groan, Courtney nodded, “That is exactly what I said we’d do once we arrived at the village.”

“Sure didn’t sound like it,” Gwen challenged with a huff.

“I get what Courtney’s saying!” Bridgette declared with a clap of her hands, “Once we get asking about the Princess out of the way, we’ll be free to find out what’s up with the Intern’d in the area!”

“You should have just said that from the beginning,” the sorcerer muttered as the trio began making their way back to the path.

“Excuse me, ladies?” Trent called out, jogging towards them, barely managing to catch himself from tripping on a jutting stone. The three paused, turning to face the bard, waiting for him to regain his footing and explain himself. Trent waved sheepishly, “Would I be correct in my guess that you three are heading for the quaint village just past these woods?”

“Considering Courtney pretty much spelled it out earlier, yes, you would be correct,” Gwen smirked.

“Is there something you needed, Trent?” Courtney asked, shooting the pale woman a glare.

“Well, I just came from that village, would it be alright with you three if I traveled with you?”

The women exchanged silent glances but eventually, Gwen gave Trent a nod and gestured he walk with them. “Hopefully you’ll be able to keep up,” the sorcerer teased.

“I should be able to, your cleric patched me up real well.”

“Thanks! I’ve had a lot of practice with my fellow clerics during training,” Bridgette beamed.

“She causes most of the injuries she heals,” Gwen whispered to Trent and was rewarded with a peal of loud, velvety laughter that may or may not have made her heart skip a beat. She returned her attention to the road, decidedly ignoring the faint heat blooming on her cheeks.

“So, Trent, why exactly are you in the forest?” Courtney asked casually, no hint of suspicion detectable in her voice.

“It’s a rather short story, as far as a bard’s standards go, but the village chief hired me to uh, investigate the strange incidents that have happening lately.”

“Strange incidents?”

He nodded, “Yeah, there have been a number of attacks happening. While the chief has a lot of volunteers serving as guards, no one’s willing to brave the forest.”

“No one but you,” Gwen pointed out.

“What can I say? I just can’t help but want to help those in need.”

“That’s actually very noble of you, Trent,” Courtney remarked, “Suicidal, but noble.”

“Taking on the undead wasn’t exactly what I’d planned, but your timely arrival? It felt like it came straight out of an epic!” Trent whistled. He paused, a distant look crossing his features before he grabbed his mandolin and began strumming. His fingers skillfully plucked at the instrument’s strings, producing a melody that made the three women’s pulse race in excitement.

As the music played on, the group’s pace quickened, and neither Gwen, Bridgette, nor Courtney realized the change in their speed. And when Trent began to sing, his voice urged them forward and his rich tones sang their praises, invigorating them. By the time they emerged from the woods, none of them felt any hints of fatigue or exhaustion.

While it wasn’t at all surprising to find the paladin barely out of breath, that Gwen wasn’t panting or gasping after pushing herself so hard was a feat in and of itself.

“Maybe we should consider having a bard with us _all_ the time,” Bridgette laughed giddily.

“Well, his song did drown out any of your complaining,” Courtney chuckled, giving Gwen a friendly pat on her back and then giving one to the bard. “Now Trent, if you would be so kind as to introduce us to the village chief?”

“Sure, Courtney, if I remember right, his house is this way,” he mused as he marched on ahead.

“You two should go find a place for us to stay,” Courtney instructed before following after the dark-haired man. The cleric began to move on to search when she noticed Gwen wasn’t moving.

“Come on, let’s go,” Bridgette tugged at her friend.

“Why does Courtney get to go speak with the village chief?” the pale woman muttered.

“Since when are you so interested in interacting with others?” the blonde quirked an interested brow. “You usually shut yourself up in your study, contemplating spells and old musty books.”

“I-I’m not interested! I just. I mean _we’re_ just as eloquent as she is. We both can totally handle talking to a mere village chief, that’s all I’m saying!” Gwen huffed with a frown. With one last glance at the direction the paladin and the bard marched off to, she turned on her heels and stomped off towards the nearest building, “Forget it. Let’s just find an inn.”

The cleric tapped her cheek in thought for a few moments, “Right, if you say so.”

* * *

“W-why, Trent my lad, you’re back!” an old man greeted in surprise when the raven-haired bard strode through the elder’s doors. “What did you find? Out there in the woods?”

“You might need to sit yourself down first,” Courtney suggested, stepping past Trent as she removed her helmet.

“A paladin!?” the old man gasped, pulling his hat down to his heart, revealing a balding head, “W-what brings a Holy Knight to our humble village?”

“Wild goose chase,” Courtney supplied casually.

“Ah, like Sir Josh’s wild rabbit chase?” the chief chuckled in sympathy.

“Exactly,” the tanned woman confirmed.

Trent stepped in, pulling out a chair for the old man, “Tomas, you might want to sit down for what we’re about to tell you.”

When the village chief did as the bard and paladin suggested, the two told Tomas of what had happened while Trent went scouting. Needless to say, Tomas was not happy. Not happy in the least. With his hat and a trembling hand, the village chief began to wipe his face. He looked up at Trent, “W-what can we do about these undead?”

“Are any of your men trained to deal with these vile abominations?” Courtney asked. And as she expected, Tomas shook his head. “In that case, it would be best if you left these creatures to my group to handle.”

“What... what would your services cost?”

Courtney only gave a benign smile, “I’m a CIT and a Holy Knight. Lodgings and maybe some rations to help us in said goose chase would be more than enough.”

“Oh of course! Of course! We can provide that!” Tomas happily agreed, “Thank you so much for bringing us help, Trent.”

“Think nothing of it,” he grinned.

“We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning. Although, Tomas, did anything unusual or special happen in the last two months?”

The village chief thought hard, “Well, Mrs. Simmons’ sow had five piglets instead of their usual six. And one of those piglets got stolen a few days ago.”

Courtney had to refrain herself from pressing a gauntleted hand to her face. Instead, she continued to smile sweetly, “Anything else?”

Tomas pondered for a bit longer then, it occurred to him, “Now that you mention it, the Princess Lindsay and her entourage paid the village a visit! I even gave her a guided tour of my home.”

“Really?” Trent sounded curious, “Could we get the tour too?”

“If you’d like!” the village elder got to his feet in excitement.

“Maybe we can have it _after_ we deal with the undead?” the paladin interjected, “Did the Princess leave the village alright?”

“More than alright, she looked like she had the time of her life!” the chief proudly beamed, looking like he was about to go into every little detail of the Princess’ visit. Then he abruptly sobered, fixing somber eyes at the paladin and bard. “Please, Courtney, Trent, please save this village.”

“I-it could very well be an isolated incident,” Trent’s attempt at easing the old man’s fears prompted Courtney to nod.

“Yes, there’s every chance that the ones we dealt with are all there were. Your village is rather close to the capital and there are always sorcerers and wizards and clerics training there. It might have just been a case of a rogue spell or something.”

Tomas looked comforted by this and ushered the bard and paladin out, saying they must have had a long and tiring day and promising, “I’ll tell Charlie to give you and your group the best rooms in the Inn.”

Once their arrangements had been sorted out, Courtney was ready to bid Trent goodnight and go their separate ways. However, she soon discovered that fate had other ideas.

“Listen, Courtney, I was thinking...”

The paladin frowned at Trent, already not liking where this was going. She was just about to cut him off with a curt goodnight when Gwen and Bridgette popped up from behind her.

“Courtney!” the cleric bobbed happily, “Gwen and I were just about to look for you.” She paused then lightly nudged the pale woman beside her, “Hey there, Trent.”

“Hi Bridgette, hi Gwen,” the bard waved, “Great timing as always. Seeing as all three of you are here, I was thinking maybe I could join you tomorrow.”

“Whatever prompted that?” Courtney asked flatly.

“I don’t know. I could probably prattle on about needing a muse and inspiration, or how I want to somehow repay you for saving my life earlier, but I really want to see this through.” He let out a heavy sigh, “And I promised Tomas I’d do whatever I can to help. Letting you three do all the work just doesn’t feel right.”

“Are you sure you’re up for it? I mean, who _knows_ how many of those Intern’d are still out there,” Courtney warned.

“I think having Trent along is a great idea,” Gwen quickly piped up, “There’s safety in numbers and you have to admit, that song of his really helped us push along.”

“Besides, you never know when an extra sword will come in handy since we only have yours,” the blonde added in jest.

“Fine, fine, I know when I’m outvoted,” the paladin groaned in defeat, “A good CIT should know how to delegate, I suppose. But we’re leaving at the crack of dawn and if you aren’t ready by the time we are, you’ll have to catch up to us.” With that, the tanned brunette marched to her room.

Trent leaned towards Gwen, whispering, “She’s not really going to leave me behind, is she?”

“You’d better believe she will,” the sorcerer answered wryly.

“Harsh, why do you two work with her, then?”

“It takes a while for Courtney to warm up to new people,” Bridgette defended, gently patting Trent on the back and giving Gwen a disapproving look, “But when she does, she will fight a dire wolf with her bare hands to protect you.”

The mild chiding from the usually laid-back cleric had the sorcerer uncomfortably rubbing the back of her neck, murmuring “Or a dire bear.”

“I guess that means I should get some sleep. Gotta be up at the crack of dawn and all,” Trent awkwardly excused himself to head to his own room. “See you all in the morning.”

“Good night Trent,” Gwen bade before she and Bridgette went to their respective quarters. At the threshold, the pale woman glanced over her shoulder, “Good night Bridge and thanks for reminding me about... y’know.”

Bridgette simply smiled, leaning against her the doorframe, “Courtney and I have been friends longer than the two of you so I can read her better. You know how strict a paladin’s moral code is and how they always feel responsible for everyone in the group. Trent didn’t look all that battle-savvy so she just doesn’t want to have one more person to worry about.”

“Does Courtney think we’re useless, then?!” Gwen scowled.

“ _Courtney_ thinks you’re wasting time talking about her behind her back instead of getting some rest!” the paladin’s voice growled from inside her quarters. Deliberately heavy footsteps were heard before she opened the door, “But to answer your question, Gwen, no Courtney doesn’t think you and Bridgette are useless. If she did, she would never have agreed to go on this mission with you not even at Noah’s request. Not even at the _King’s_ request.”

A beat.

“Now both of you _go to sleep_. You complained all day about me not letting you rest and when I actually _do_ tell you it’s time to rest, you stay up talking palaver instead!” She muttered something beneath her breath that sounded very much like: “All sorts of messed up priorities, what did I get myself into,” all the while shaking her head as she slammed the door shut.

Gwen and Bridgette wordlessly stared at each other before bursting into sheepish giggles. Finally, they greeted each other a goodnight and together wished Courtney pleasant dreams and promised to see her in the morning.


End file.
